Tuesday, January 5, 2010

CHARLESTON, S.C. -- During the ACC's weekly teleconference Monday morning, North Carolina coach Roy Williams downplayed the significance of last Thursday's team meeting, saying the team meets all the time.

And maybe there wasn't anything all-to-new to it, after all, considering Monday night's 82-79 overtime loss at College of Charleston, during which the Tar Heels squandered an 11-point lead in the final four minutes of regulation.

"Yeah, we talked," point guard Larry Drew II said of the meeting. "We always talk. There's something with this team - we've got to stop talking at a point, and start playing. We've got to start walking the talk. ... I feel like I've heard everything -- from the players, from the coaches. It's getting to a point where we've just got to start doing what we say we're going to do."

A QUESTION OF LEADERSHIP: Senior Marcus Ginyard and junior Will Graves were sidelined by right ankle sprains, and senior Deon Thompson was so dejected after the game that he didn't stop in the post-game locker room to answer questions.

So after squandering a lead and losing to a non-conference team not ranked in either poll for the first time since 2006, naturally a question about whether coach Roy Williams was satisfied with his leadership came up. His response: point the blame on himself.

"Not from the head coach, because I've got to coach them better," Williams said. "They've got to understand that you're three points down and [you've] got five fouls. We're screaming and yelling and doing everything, but we didn't get it done, so we're not getting the correct coaching."

Williams was referring to Charleston guard Andrew Goudelock's game-tying 3-pointer with 2.1 seconds left in regulation. Williams was wildly gesturing for the Tar Heels to foul. Instead, Thompson got caught on a switch defending Goudelock, and the shot swished through to force overtime.

INJURY UPDATE: Reserve forward John Henson, who Williams considered starting in place of the injured Graves, sat out most of the second half with a headache. Williams said he is hopeful that one of UNC's injured starters -- Graves or Ginyard, who missed his third straight game with a sprained right ankle -- will be able to play when Carolina opens its ACC season against Virginia Tech on Sunday.

Don't worry about Carolina Basketball; they'll adjust and re-invent themselves like always. Its the football team that seems to find a way to self destruct and disappoint. The basketball team will be off a little during this year of reloading but will win 8 or 9 conference games and make the NCAA tournament

Hilarious how quickly the Heel Haters forget how dominant the program has been over the last six years and how six of the top 8 players from last year are gone, but still want to cry how 'bad' they are.

Get a grip people. Two upperclassmen starters out on the road playing the opponent's "Game of the Century". Still only four losses (three to top five teams on the road). The Heels will be just fine and you'll be left bitter and making more senseless internet posts for any other Haters who will listen...

Of course UNC won't be that bad. It's UNC, nuff said. However, they definately won't be as dominant as before. Right now, I'd put my money on Duke just because of Scheyer and Smith. Also Kyle Singler's doing all right too.

About this blog

David Scott has been with the Observer for 28 years and has written about ACC, SEC and other college sports in the Charlotte region. He covers Wake Forest, South Carolina and college soccer for the Observer and (Raleigh) News & Observer.

J.P. Giglio covers the ACC for the News & Observer, where he has worked since 1997, and the Observer.

Andrew Carter covers the North Carolina Tar Heels for the Observer and News & Observer.

Laura Keeley covers the Duke Blue Devils for the Observer and News & Observer. Follow her on Twitter.

Chip Alexander covers the Carolina Hurricanes and college football for the News & Observer, where he has worked since 1979, and the Observer.

Luke DeCock has worked for The News & Observer since 2000. He covered the Carolina Hurricanes and the NHL before becoming a sports columnist for the Observer and News & Observer in August 2008.

Tim Crothers is an author and former senior writer at Sports Illustrated who is joining the sports staff to write a regular column during the rest of the college basketball season.